The Boy Between Worlds Audiobook By Annejet van der Zijl, Kristen Gehrman - translator cover art

The Boy Between Worlds

A Biography

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The Boy Between Worlds

By: Annejet van der Zijl, Kristen Gehrman - translator
Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
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From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of An American Princess comes the true story of an unconventional family divided by war and prejudice during WWII.

When they fell in love in 1928, Rika and Waldemar could have not been more different. She was a thirty-seven-year-old Dutch-born mother, estranged from her husband. He was her immigrant boarder, not yet twenty, and a wealthy Surinamese descendant of slaves. The child they have together, brown skinned and blue eyed, brings the couple great joy yet raises some eyebrows. Until the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands explodes their promising life.

What unfolds is more than the astonishing story of a love that prevailed over convention. It’s also the quest of a young boy. Through the cruelty of World War II, he will fight for a connection between his father’s South American birthplace and his mother’s European traditions. Lost and displaced for much of his life, but with a legacy of resilience in his blood, his life will be a struggle to find his place in the world.

Moving deftly between personal experience and the devastating machinations of war, The Boy Between Worlds is an unforgettable journey of hope, love, and courage in the face of humanity’s darkest hour.

©2019 Annejet van der Zijl; translation copyright Kristen Gerhman (P)2019 Brilliance Audio, Inc., all rights reserved. 20th Century Europe European Military Modern Wars & Conflicts Western Western Europe Women World World Literature World War II War Biography Marriage Africa Heartfelt Refugee Imperialism
Powerful Storytelling • Educational History • Emotional Narrative • Compelling Biography • Well-researched Account
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This book was so beautifully told and such a heart wrenching story. A must read

One of the best books I have ever heard!

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Very good writing of what people have gone through. What the WWII did to people. Very sad but people need to here about this history.

Excellent Audio

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Very short, just over 200 pages—not long enough to fully develop the book in my opinion. Anna and Waldemar were true heroes in the fight against Nazi oppression in The Netherlands, a setting rarely written about. They both experienced discrimination, she as a divorced woman who fell in love with a much younger man, and him as a biracial man from Suriname. This book reminded me that Black Europeans were persecuted and interned in the Nazi concentration camp system. It could have been fascinating, but the author didn’t tell it with enough detail and passion. The book would have been better written as historical fiction. 3 stars. To read more of my reviews, google my name.

Not enough detail

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The author clearly dedicated a lot of time , research and compassion into this book. She wonderfully interweaves the lives of two very interesting (and previously unknown to me) people into a historical context. The outcome is a very compelling and personally enriching story. One of the best books I've read in 2019.

Well written. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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I really enjoyed this story. I wish that I had known it was true. recommend.

good listen .

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This is the second book I have read from this author (1st was The American Princes) and has kept me fascinated from beginning to end. Annejet brings the characters in the book alive. It also showed to me at least another side of history.

A book that transports you to that time

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This is a wonderful book. It is sad in parts but that is history and you cannot change history. I learned a lot from this book about history that I didn’t even know so the book was also educational. The woman’s voice who reads the Audible version is lovely. I found that she did read a bit fast so in parts you may want to slow it down a bit especially since there are a lot of unfamiliar words. I had to rewind a few times. Otherwise it was a great choice for me.

Wonderful book

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The end was the most memorable aspect but the entire story was very powerful. I never got bored or impatient.

A poignant wonderfully written story

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A moving, pungent ww2 true story of war and love. Well by this Dutch authoress.

very moving story

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This story is less about the boy between worlds and more a long narrative on Nazi atrocities. If that is what you are interested in immersing yourself into, this is the book for you.

Misleading Title

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